ArrestedMotion logo
Tag Archives: London

Openings: Christian Hook @ Clarendon Fine Art (Mayfair)

Christian Hook, 2014 winner  of the British broadcast competition Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year, just unveiled his new collection of paintings and exclusive editions, as well as the release of his new hardback book La Busqueda at Clarendon Fine Art in Mayfair, London. The exhibition features his infamous portraits from the Sky Art Series with actress Sue Johnston, singer Mick Hecknall from Simply Red and professional footballer Fabrice Muamba.  The paintings of Christian Hook are rooted in tradition yet brim with freshness and vitality. The past […]

Showing: Mark Jenkins – “Knock Knock” @ Ruttkowski;68

Mark Jenkins’ solo show Knock Knock is currently on view at Ruttkowski;68 in Cologne, Germany. His third exhibition with the gallery includes around 15 new sculptural pieces in the style that he has been creating for the past 13 years. The title of the show comes from artist’s ability to metaphorically knock the viewer’s mind calling norms into question and rethinking the reality. Though primarily creating for public spaces, where his works come to life during interactions with passersby, the American artist has also been successfully showing work indoors for […]

Upcoming: Evoca1 – “Though Perils of Our Youth” @ StolenSpace

Though Perils of Our Youth, a solo show from Evoca1, will be opening at the StolenSpace in London on November 3rd. Known for his detailed and expressive murals featuring portraits of people and often their animal companions, the Miami-based street artist is working on something a little more personal for this gallery show. The Dominican born artist further explains – “This exhibition of oil paintings, and drawings will reflect on what we endure through our lives overcoming childhood struggles and experiences. The stories portrayed in the work […]

Frieze ’16: Frieze Masters and Sculpture Park (London)

As the entire art world collides to London for a plethora of exhibitions and fairs, Frieze Masters presents antique works from the Egyptian era to modern masters by way of 130 international galleries with 1000 years of art under one roof. We selected some highlights for you from Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali, Andy Warhol , JM Basquiat, Rene Magritte, Miro, Fernand Leger, Roy Lichtenstein.  Curated by Clare Lilley (Yorkshire Sculpture Park), the Frieze Sculpture Park features 18 artworks spread amongst Regent’s Park, with a mix of 20th […]

Streets: David Shrigley – “Really Good” // Fourth Plinth (London)

At the end of last month, David Shrigley revealed his public art commission standing on the Fourth Plinth at Trafalgar Square. Entitled Really Good, the seven-meter-high bronze piece featuring an extra long thumbs up was sand cast in 50 pieces over 9 months. The British artist hopes that this 11th sculpture for the long running arts program will become a “self-fulfilling prophecy –  that things considered bad, such as the economy, the weather and society will benefit from a change of consensus towards positivity.” Photos via It’s […]

Openings: Ryan Hewett – ‘Order’ @ Unit London

South African artist Ryan Hewett (interviewed) has returned to London for a new solo show at The Unit London entitled Order featuring a new series of expressive and semi-abstract portraits. Depicted figures include himself as well as Egon Schiele, Marcel Duchamp, Lucien Freud, Samuel Beckett, and Audrey Hepburn. Unlike his 2015 solo show Untitled in which he created deliberately chaotic and semi-abstract portraits of famous figures, the new body of work is more planned and focused with abstract strokes and a textured pasto technique. Photos: Butterfly Art News  Discuss […]

Upcoming: Jamian Juliano-Villani – “The World’s Greatest Planet on Earth” @ Studio Voltaire

Tomorrow night (September 30th) in London, the preview for the Jamian Juliano-Villani solo show will be opening at the non-profit gallery Studio Voltaire. The New York-based artist’s work is an bizarre amalgamation of popular culture and appropriated material, reinterpreted through the lens of her warped vision which can oftentimes make the viewer uncomfortable and yet intrigued at the same time. Entitled The World’s Greatest Planet on Earth, the exhibition will be the American artist’s first solo presentation in a public institution outside of the US and will include never before exhibited sculptural installations […]

Openings: Conor Harrington – “Watch Your Palace Fall” @ Pace London

After nine months of preparation, Conor Harrington (interviewed) has opened a solo exhibition entitled Watch Your Palace Fall at Pace Gallery London in Soho. Continuing his narrative of politically charged oil paintings, the locally-based artist rendered fights between military male characters dressed in 18th century uniforms, with all the rage and thirst for power evident in their visages. The chase for power is certainly timeless and draws references to the contemporary political climate, as illustrated in Sluggers Paradise (2016), a large diptych featuring a tug of war and coloured to represent the classic blue and red of […]

Previews: Ryan Hewett – “Order” @ Unit London

Following the successful preview show earlier this year (covered), Ryan Hewett (interviewed) is back with The Unit London for his solo. Opening on the 29th of September, the exhibition will introduce a new direction that the South African artist has taken with his work and approach. Slightly stepping away from spontaneous construction and deconstruction and a deliberately chaotic working process, the new works are cleaner, more restricted and thought through. Solid color backgrounds, carefully chosen tones of paint, smooth gradients, perfect circles and use of masking tape for […]

Previews: Conor Harrington – “Watch Your Palace Fall” @ Pace London

From the 15th of September to the 8th of October, Pace London will be showing new work by Conor Harrington (interviewed). Watch Your Palace Fall will include 10 new large oil paintings in which the Irish-born artist combines realistic brushstrokes with the raw energy of abstraction. The new pieces feature signature scenes of fight and conflicts as well as the recurring motif of the golden mask as a metaphor for hiding your true self and creating a new identity. By obscuring the subject, these works address the commonness of social media selves and the […]